The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court on Tuesday ordered the legislature to commence impeachment proceedings against Vice President Michel Temer. Judge Marco Aurelio Mello overruled a previous rejection from a high ranking member of the Brazilian legislature. Brazil is in the midst of a political and economic crisis, tied to widespread corruption. Impeachment proceedings …

The Puerto Rico legislature passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow the island territory to enter into a state of fiscal emergency and begin the process toward a debt moratorium. The bill would allow the moratorium, primarily concerned with the debt of the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico, to be in …

Idaho Governor CL "Butch" Otter, issued his first veto of 2016 on Tuesday, striking legislation that provided for the use of the Christian Bible in public school. The legislation explicitly allowed the Bible to be referenced in various subjects including literature, biology, geography, comparative government and history. The bill would not require students to use the religious …

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil antitrust lawsuit Wednesday to block Halliburton's proposed acquisition of Baker Hughes, Inc.. The two companies are giants in the oilfield services industry and together would comprise a majority of oil-related business. The DOJ alleges that the transaction threatens to eliminate competition, raise prices …

Three UN human rights experts on Wednesday urged Mexican authorities to support human rights groups who are facing extreme criticism in national media. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst said that the Mexican government should recognize that the defense of human rights is a legitimate national interest and serves …

The Bangladesh government has failed to respond adequately to naturally occurring arsenic in rural drinking water, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report Wednesday. The report found that the government's efforts to combat water-contamination has drastically fallen off since 2006. In particular, HRW said there is "little or no ongoing government water testing of wells …

2015 saw the highest number of recorded executions in more than 25 years, Amnesty International (AI) reported Wednesday. AI records show that at least 1,634 people were executed last year in 25 countries. However, the report also shows that there was a sharp decline in the number of death sentences between 2014 and 2015, falling to …

A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday expressed concern about increasing mob violence in Malawi, urging authorities to act to alleviate the situation. Spokesperson Cécile Pouilly expressed particular concern that mob uprisings have successfully been able to attack government buildings and remove individuals from custody. In one instance …

South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday survived a vote to impeach him after the African National Congress (ANC) gave him their support. The move to impeach Zuma came from opposition leaders after the constitutional court ruled that he had ignored their order to personally repay the amounts determined by the National Treasury, …

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a bill into law that will allow state employees to refuse to issue same-sex-marriage licenses and allow private companies and religious groups to deny services to the LGBT community without the threat of punishment. The legislation will also allow employers to use religion as a …